Transforming landfill to community woodland in Glasgow

A major project to transform a landfill and recycling site into a community woodland in Glasgow received a £380,000 funding boost today.

The investment will complete phase two of the woodland project, creating a network of pathways around the site at Greenoakhill.

Already, over 20,000 trees have been planted to establish the woodland and greenspace created for walkers, runners, community groups, schools and cyclists.

The new pathways will open up access for the surrounding communities in Baillieston, Broomhouse, Carmyle, Garrowhill, Mount Vernon and Shettleston.

Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) is creating and managing the woodland at Greenoakhill as the landfill gets restored. The whole site will be about the size of 100 football pitches when fully completed.

Funding for the project has been provided by Patersons Quarries Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund, administered by LandTrust.

Announcing the new funding during a visit to Greenoakhill, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“The Scottish Government is committed to restoring industrial land into vibrant greenspace for the benefit of local communities.

“The Greenoakhill community woodland is an excellent example of this type of work and shows what can be achieved when agencies and organisations work together. It is one of many projects which contribute to the wider Central Scotland Green Network, the largest greenspace programme in Europe.

“By transforming derelict land into thriving woodland we will improve the health, biodiversity and education opportunities for people right across the central belt, while also contributing to our climate change ambitions.”

Greenoakhill is located five miles east of Glasgow city centre and is split in two by the busy M74. To date, much of the work has concentrated on the southern part of the woodland but Forest Enterprise Scotland, supported by the Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT), will now begin to develop the northern part of the site into a community green space.

Forest Enterprise Scotland has also restored other similar sites including the very popular Cuningar Loop community woodland in Rutherglen and Rawyards in Airdrie.

Stephen Rees, from LandTrust added:

“Greenoakhill is an exciting environmental development. Once it’s completed, it will be a positive demonstration of the creation of a valuable public amenity utilising landfill communities funds. The new woodland will be a recreational resource that will encourage local people to get outdoors and become more active.”

The day to day management and delivery of phase two of the project at Greenoakhill will be carried out by the CSGNT on behalf of Forest Enterprise Scotland.

“At CSGNT, we are working to deliver the green network on the ground and this innovative project at Greenoakhill will transform an unused and derelict piece of land into a valuable greenspace resource for local communities, and will also contribute to increased woodland cover across the region, bringing environmental benefits.”

Notes to editors

Forest Enterprise Scotland is an agency of Forestry Commission Scotland and manages the National Forest Estate on behalf of Scottish Ministers.